The match started off as Melbourne vs Victoria, Victoria Azarenka that is. However, after nearly 3 hours of nerve-wracking tennis, it turned into the battle everyone wanted to see, the Defending Champion vs the People's Champion. And it was the defending champion who prevailed as she joined an elite group of 8 women who had successfully defended their Australian Open title, registering a hard fought and rather emotional 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.

In the aftermath of the 'Timeout-gate' controversy, 23-year old Azarenka was always expected to get a frosty reception from a large knowledgeable Melbourne crowd at the Rod Laver Arena, and quite frankly she did. There was mild appreciation for the points that she won at the start of the match, while the response that Li Na got every time she won a point cemented the obvious, her place in the hearts of the fans, and who they wanted to see emerge victorious. There was also the presence of the usual hecklers that one can expect in such an environment, with Azarenka being taunted by the fans whenever she threatened to get ahead.

For the best part of the past four years, the top four players of men’s tennis – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have completed dominated the Grand Slams. Such has been their dominance that only one player apart from them in Juan Martin Del Potro at the 2009 U.S Open has been able to find success at the Slams. This has left a huge gap between the top 4 and the rest of the players and consequently the early rounds at the majors have been a mere formality – a way to find out which of the 4 is most likely to win.

With the 2009 Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal withdrawing from the tournament the top seed Novak Djokovic had an easy semi final where he wiped the floor with his opponent David Ferrer. As a result, all eyes were on the second semi-final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray. That match would have the responsibility of showing the world the best tennis it had ever seen and at the same time give them a clue as to who would walk away victorious from Melbourne.

On Thursday, in the first of the men’s semi-finals, defending champion Novak Djokovic proved why he is the no.1 player in the world as he came to the Rod Laver Arena firing on all cylinders and displayed a sublime quality of tennis to annihilate 4th seed David Ferrer in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

Ferrer is one of the toughest competitor’s on tour and over the past couple of years has improved his game on the hard courts to progress from a clay court specialist to a tennis player with an all round game. With compatriot Rafael Nadal withdrawing from the tournament the responsibility of filling the gap fell squarely on the fourth seed’s shoulders and a lot was expected from him. Unfortunately, Ferrer did not live up to those expectations and was blitzed off Rod Laver Arena by the top seeded Serb in 89 minutes in what could quite possibly be one of the worst defeats of the Spaniard’s career.

Defending Champion Victoria Azarenka will clash with 2011 runner-up Li Na of China in the Final of the 2013 Australian Open after both women recorded largely comfortable straight set wins in today's semi-final encounters.

Li Na was up first against the world no.2 and former champion Maria Sharapova, a match in which the Russian diva came in as the overwhelming favourite, having lost just 9 games all tournament. However, Li played arguably the best tennis she has produced in her life, hammering down 21 winners to cruise to an easy 6-2, 6-2 win.

It was the artistry of Roger Federer up against the charisma of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as the two veterans dished out an entertaining 3½ hours for a near capacity crowd at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, with the Swiss maestro predictably prevailing in the end.

Tsonga, whose raw power and brute force is only outshone by his winning smile and extraordinary personality put it all on the line against the 17-time Grand Slam champion, but yet again fell agonizingly short, going down to the legendary Swiss maestro 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.

As a journalist, one is always looking for something new and exciting to write about. Covering the Australian Open women's draw this year has largely been a piece of cake with bagels and breadsticks dished out with gay abandon by the top seeds, and predictability being the theme around Melbourne Park. Hence, it becomes very easy to go overboard when one sees a 19-year old American upstart in Sloane Stephens knock off the 15-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.

Two inches shorter and 10kg lighter, Stephens is very much a younger, faster, lithe version of Serena, and every bit as hungry for success. Stephens grew up idolizing Serena, and predictably has a poster of the American legend in her room back home. The duo met barely a couple of weeks ago at the Brisbane International where Serena dismantled the youngster in the quarter-finals in two well contested sets.